Comments

Help solve your taxing problem by bringing in more businesses which pay taxes
and hire workers that pay taxes.

California just passed 70 plus
billion in new taxes over the next 10 years plus additional sales tax increases
so this state is open for business. That is for smart city, county and state
economic deveolpment agencies who go after California businesses.

California's a one party rule state now with super majorities in the
Senate and Assembly. They are already proposing tens of billions in new taxes
for the Democrat Governor to sign.

California businesses are packing
up! Invite them to Utah. The percent of Republicans in California is declining
rapidly as the taxes go up and as Democrat leaning immigrants and illegal
immigrants raid the treasury here!

Utah needs a state Program
called:

Invite a Business program, similar to Invite a Neighbor
program.

If Utahn's were smart they would hire people like me
who know Economics and California business needs and information on who is
looking to leave!

Well, of your list the only one I see that would indicate fat in the budget is
the message bills. I would hardly think that the education budget is fat
considering we spend the least per pupil in the union. And I have no idea why
you would think miscalculating the amount needed would indicate fat in the
budget. I also have no idea why you would think the state running an election
would be a sign of fat in the budget. And just because you had a problem
calculating your taxes correctly doesn't mean that the state tax commission
has fat in its budget. As far as UDOT and UTA as far as I know they work very
well together. UDOT also seems to be a very efficient agency nowadays. UTA?
Maybe you don't like public transportation, but that doesn't mean UTA
runs fat. Besides, they are private. Just how smart do you think you are?

But anyway, I don't agree with much that the folks on the hill do
in Utah, but they do run a rather tight fiscal ship, overall. Utah runs very
lean.

Kings CourtAlpine, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 7:49 p.m.

There seems to be tax structure problem. If employment is slowly improving in
Utah as the governor touts, yet the state continually falls further behind every
year in the ability to fund growth in education, then something is wrong with
the tax structure. I'm guessing that the majority of growth in Utah is
people with families who pay too little in taxes as opposed to the education
needs of their children. Over the last ten years, the legislature continually
lowered income tax rates in order to lure business. (The income tax goes into
the school fund). The promise was that the taxes would be made up by the
incoming families and their income tax contributions. In other words, low taxes
for corporations would be offset by more families paying into the system;
however, there was one major flaw. Those families also mean more children.
Those children use more in resources than their parents pay in income tax. This
is a net negative and will continue to deplete education funds unless something
is done to restructure it to where it is more sustainable. It is time for the
legislature to get to work and solve this dilemma.

Fitness FreakSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 1:55 p.m.

Here's a "twofer" - ENFORCE illegal immigration and mandate
e-verify for all employees.

You'll get more actual legal
citizens with jobs and less illegal immigrants' children to educate.

Wouldn't cost much either.

toosmartforyouFarmington, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 12:48 p.m.

@ mark

Look at UDOT if you want to see wasted funds. Have they ever
wasted any money? Why are UDOT and UTA competing, kingdom-building agencies?
Why aren't they working together?

Look at $25 million from a
"miscalculation" in the State Office of Education. At the time we were
told to not worry because there were funds available to cover it.

Look at all the "message" bills the Legislature passes and which we
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars defending in court, usually to lose.

Look at the four-day work week and what a fiasco that was for anyone
doing business with the State of Utah, realizing the cost savings were more
imagined than real.

These are a few examples. Certainly there are
more. (How much was wasted on the last round of elections that could have been
better spent?) And if the time spent to campaign by incumbents was spent working
more could have been accomplished.

Ever dealt with the State Tax
Commission? Why does it take 4 tries to get something astraightened out that
they assure you is fixed each of the previous visits?

Ad
infinitem......believe me!

dumprakeWashington, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 12:34 p.m.

America has been lied to about Obamacare--from the very beginning. Obamacare
will not reduce the cost of healthcare (the first lie was in the name of the
bill). Any eight grader with a basic understanding of economics could have told
us that Obamacare will not reduce the cost of healthcare. The government has
never gotten into anything that made it cost less. What a sham. Now Obama was
huge tax increases (surprise surprise), and the "trickle down
government" will force every state to spend more on healthcare too. Is this
an impeachable offense? I hope Utah will do the right thing. Taxes cannot be
increased, that is no solution. How about a small, across the board cuts in
every department in the state--including education and retirements? In an
economy like this, to even think about tax increases is criminal.

cjbBountiful, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 9:56 a.m.

I recently read Utah has the lowest severance tax in the Western States. If we
are going to look at raising the tax on food, why not this too?

metamoracougmetamora, IL

Nov. 14, 2012 9:04 a.m.

Oh, heaven forbid! You Utahns can worry about your $200 million. Illinois
Governor Quinn and his Democratic Leadership in the state legislature are over
budget by BILLIONS this year . . . and last year . . . and the year before that
. . . .

justamacguyManti, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 8:31 a.m.

"shortfall that resulted from a miscalculation by the Utah State Office of
Education" maybe send teachers back to math class.

In defense of
state employees. If you want them to pay more of their healthcare cost, then
make their salaries equal to the private sector. Many are as much as 20% under
with the insurance making up the pay difference.

Schools need to
within better budgets. I'm not advocating teacher salary cuts, I believe
they deserve there money. I'm talking about spending on equipment, too many
sports and social activities. Schools are for education, not play.

markSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 8:23 a.m.

For those who want to cut spending, show me where state spending is fat.

Get rid of the child tax exemption. Make it that the people with large
families in this state are no longer freeloading.

one voteSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 7:52 a.m.

Balanced budgets get personal.

Incite FullLayton, UT

Nov. 14, 2012 7:51 a.m.

The healthcare cost increase is due to Obamacare. Utah, like many states, was
banking on it being repealed and now that there's no hope of it going away
they're stuck having to obey the law.

Why would I?Farmington, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 10:52 p.m.

I hate to say it but it is time to reduce spending (and/or programs) to a level
where current taxes will support the government.

Orem ParentOrem, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 10:24 p.m.

I hate to say it but it is time for a small tax increase or at least a cut in
exemptions.

werSouth Jordan, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 10:07 p.m.

Is the additional $35 million for state employees health insurance increases due
to Obamacare??

ABITOUTSIDECentral, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 10:03 p.m.

The good news is we can still keep building roads, no shortage of funding there.
We need to change the state flag to a picture of an orange cone. They start
construction from Payson to Spanish Fork. We are still paying for Salt Lake
County reconstruction and now have added Utah county on top of that. No Money?
No management?

DN SubscriberCottonwood Heights, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 8:15 p.m.

Hey, Legislators, the answer is obvious. Cut spending to match the expected
revenue, and not a dime more. If you want to spend more than that, the first
thing shoudl be to zero out the pay and allowances for members of the
Legislature and spend that on whatever is deemed to be so much more
important.

This is not Washington, so we cannot just print money, or
borrow endlessly from China or Montana. Or like the idiots running California
who are clueless about financial discipline.

Why would I?Farmington, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 7:57 p.m.

I wouldn't be so sure, BroJoseph, as they seemed to do ok when Utah was
just a territory. Of course back then they had a simple rule: If you wanted to
eat, you had to work. A welfare safety net was available but it wasn't
free. That might give any society a fair chance of survival. But then
again....maybe the USA could survive, too, if they used that same parameter.

BroJosephOgden, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 7:32 p.m.

And a petition is being circulated to "withdraw" from the US as a
separate entity state?In light of this article..Utah has very little hope
of even surviving on ots own!!

toosmartforyouFarmington, UT

Nov. 13, 2012 7:03 p.m.

How about public employees do what private employees do-----fund a greater share
of their health care expense?

Speaking of health care, just where
does the money go? Someone is making out like a bandit and it isn't the
hospitals, the doctors, the nurses, etc. Just who is getting it and why
can't they be reined in so that health care doesn't continuie to
escalate out of reach?

Between Healthcare costs, the price of
Gasoline (all energy, really) and tax-and-spend politicians, who is going to
bankrupt the country first?